Improvement in cotton-bale ties



E'.P.JONBS. COTTON BALE TIE. I No.,108,'600. v Patented 0013.25, 1870.

Wi'in asses. Ina/afar- EDWARD P. JONES, or SUNFLOWER oouistrr', IssissrPPI,

IMPR-O'VEIMIENT IN COTTON-BALE TIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 108,600, dated October 25, 1870. i

1, EDWARD P. JONES, of the county of Sunflower and State of Mississipphhave invented certain Improvement inOotton-Bale Ties, of

which the following is a specification:

My invention belongs to that class of cottonhale tiesin which there is an opening for the introduction of the last endof the band that is to be fastened thereto, after the same has been bent into the form of an oblate hook; but

it is wholly unlike any'heretofore devised in which this distinguishingfeature obtains, in several important particulars. .It is, for'example, provided with two triangular slots, in 'reverse position to each other, to receive the two ends of the band,;and fasten .the same around the bale of cotton, which occupy such relation to each other and to the band'that while, after being secured to one end of the latter, they allow the tie to be turned, as it were, -upon .an axis sufficiently to receive the other end, after the-same has been bent into hook form, in-the'samc, or nearly the same,

line which will. be maintained bythe band after the fastening has been eifected and the bale has been withdrawnfronithe compressjug-machine, thus securing the takingup-of all the slack of the band, and will, moreover, so soon as the bale has been released from compression, of itself and automatically, adjust itself tothe hook in the-best position to throw the tension of the band upon it, in such .manner as to present the whole power of resistance which the tie possesses against that tension, and to make, therefore, the cutting away of a portion of the plate of which the tie isfconstructed outside one of the said slots,

to make the narrow opening for the insertion of the last end of the band that is fastened, as aforesaid, within said slot, a matter of no consequence, so far at least as the strength of the tie is concerned- 1 My mode of making the slit in question also differs from any plan ever hitherto suggested or practiced, in that it is cut at such an inclination to the lines of the external edges of the tie that when the latter is turned to receive the last end of the band, it will be at once a guide to take the said end properly within the slot, with which it communicates, and the means for causing the same automatically to adjust itself in that position in the slot that will prevent it from getting out without positive manipulation, so that no shock or concussion, however violent, to which the halo is subjected will cause a detachment of that end from the buckle.

'Bntmy invention will be better understood by referring to the drawing, whereon it isshown, at Figurel, in connection with the two ends of a band, as when in actual use, and at Fig.2 as when detached from the band." Fig.-

3 represents the tie as when turned obliquely to the band to receivethe last endof the same that is fastened thereto.

On thejdrawing, A marks the tie as an entirety, and B a triangular slot environed by an unbroken continuity of metal. This slot is I designed to receive the firstend of the band that ,is fastened to the tie, which said end is passed through this slot andfolded over on the side next the bale,in hook form, as shown at Fig. 1, in the ordinary manner. i j The slot B .is also of triangular conformation, but differing slightly, it; will be seen, in its ontlinesfrom slot B butinstca'dof being enveloped by an unbroken rim of metal, like 'slot B,.it connnunicates with the open space outside of the end of the.tie next towhich it is cut by means of a diagonal or inclined cleft or slit, 0, which, although just wide enough to receive the hand edgewise, at the point at which it communicates with the slot, gradually widens, as shown, toward'the external eud edge of the tie or. plate A.

Between-the slots B B is a diagonal or obliqne bar or brace,D,'whic'h greatly re-enforces and strengthens the part Eat the point'where strengthis most neededito; resist the strain thereupon.

The conformation of theIs'lot B, whileefl'ectnally preventing any'endwisemovement of the band at the'end' therein 'fas'tened,.because of theinnpingement of the bar D, as shown at a,

against said end, provides an axis onwhich the tie may be turned into an oblique position with respect to the band; When thus turned the effect will be to bring the .cleft G at right angles, or nearly so,to the line of the band when in proper position on the bale, so that, it will be perceived, the band can be inserted through the same into the slot 13 without bein g moved laterally more than its width outside or away from its true line around the bale. This being so, itis self-evident that all,

or nearly all,the slack can be taken up before the insertion is made or the end bent into hook form. Furthermore, it will beseen that the moment the band enters the slot Bthe re-' lation of the parts, as well as the configuration of the slot, will have the inevitable efl'e'ct of throwing the last edge of the end of the band toward the end 0 of the slot, or. into the position as shown at c, Fig. 1, which establishes a uniform bearing-for the band from one of its edges to the other. \Vhen in its proper position, as shown at c, this end of the band, as in the case of the other, is maintained securely in place by the contact of the bar orbrace D upon its edge at the pointof its fold, asclearly the length is-just sufiiciently greaterthan the width of the band to permit the latter readily to come into the position as shown at Fig. 1. This necessarily brings into action the ends d (1 of the slots, to compel the bands to take the position as shown at said figure by positive pressure the moment the bale iswithdrawn from the compressing-machine and its expansion develops tension upon. the bands." In fact, in order that this pressure maybe continually present, in the-drawing the side d" of the slot B is in the form of an arc of a circle but, if preferred, it may be straight, like the corresponding line in slot B. y l

The great advantages of my improvement Wlll readily suggest themselves to those aequainted with the practical working of the'ties now in the market.

Owing to the fact that the slot B is formed with straight sides 1 2, so meetin gas to produce asharp corner or positive angle, the band secured therein, when the tie is'rockedto bring the cleft'C in proper position to receive the other end of the'band, as shown in Fig. 3, works in said corner, as it were, on a pivot, thus renderin g it'impossible for the tie to become disengaged from the band by its dropping out oi theloop in which it is secured.

used in making cotton-bale ties.

Another great advantage of my tie, and which constitutes the chief feature of my invention, is the converging slanting cleft O.

This is so formed as not only to act as a posi tive guide for the loop D of the band, but, ow-

ing to the fact that its narrowest-point is at c,

which is immediately at the entrance of the slot B, the utmost positive bearing-surface for the band when in position around the bale, as shown in Fig. l, is afforded. v

- By reference to the drawing it will be observed'thatthis cleft O is gradually tapering inform,'its outward point of opening being suflicientlyavide to allowof the band' being easily and quickly inserted, while its inward point of opening is onlyof such width as to permit the free passage of the band. This arrangement of cleft affords the loop D of the band an almost unbroken bearing-surface, notwithstanding the fact that the looped end B of the band, when secured inlthe slot B, entirely encircles the cleft. This nearly-uniform bearing-surface forthc loop D is a great advantage, and is owing to the fact that the cleft G is so formed that at 0 (its point of entrance into the slot B) its width is scarcely more than the thickness of the band, and is consequently so narrow as to leave .but a slight opening on the face of the slotwhichretains the loop.

My device is made, inthe ordinary manner,

by a die, and out of the ordinary plate-iron It is also in its external dimensions about the usual size of cotton-bale ties.

What I claim is I 1. The employment, in a bale-tie, of the converging slanting cleft 0, when the same is so formed that, its narrowest point of entrance shall be at its inner end, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set .forth.

2. The improved bale-tie herein shown and described, consisting oi' the rectangular metallic plate A, provided withtriangular openings B B, placed in reverse position, as shown, the

diagonal brace D, and the inwardly-converging and slanting cleft 0, when constructed, combined, and arranged for operation in the manner specified and set forth.

EDWn. r. JONES. 

